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24 Aug 2000

Tip of the Week

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First steps of First aid

This week's tip is for all of the dogs owners. These are the basic steps of how to handle a dog that got injured in any way.
The first aid means, taking the dog away of the injury place to a safer one and take care so the injury won't get worst. A right care and action, will be able to act the body's motion, make the pain easier to the dog, and let the curing begin. But a wrong treatment, while the handler is in a mental feelings, might work wrong with wrong actions that can hurt the dog more. It is important to work fast and comely while a professional help has been called.
Breathing: Look at the dog's chest and check if the breathing is regular. In a regular position, the dog will breath in the beet of 20-30 breathing a min. Many times it is faster after a traffic accident. A short breath that a longer one comes after it, might show that the dog got hurt in his breathing system.
Breathing system: if the dog is unconscious, pull forward his head and neck, open the mouth and take out all things that might close the air hole. Then pull the tong gently out. This action is very important at breeds with flat faces, that the tong might close the air holes.
Heart: Check for the dog's heart beats in the inner part of the back leg, to feel the heart beats, push hard on the dog's chest behind the elbow. The beat at large dogs is 50-90 beats a min, and smaller dogs, is should be faster, even might get to 150 a min.
Reflexes:
There are 3 reflexes that you should check at the dog;
1. Eyes reflexes, touch gently at the point where the eye and muzzle get together. If the dog in conscious, he will blink automatically.
2. Light reflexes, light with a flash light to the dog's eye. The pupil will shrink. If it didn't happened, the heart might be  in the stage of less blood, if it was small from the start, it might point that the dog has a brain damage.
3. Legs reflexes, pinch hard the inner skin of the dog's back leg's paw. If there is no reaction, the dog might be in a deep unconscious, or that the heart have stopped from beating. If the unconscious is only slight, the dog will react by pulling the leg back to him.
Shocks and collapses.
How to recognize a shock?
A shock is the stage when the heart don't supply enough blood to the body. This stage can even get an hour after a traffic accident. The dog gets weak, the heart beats and breathing are fast and the body is cold to touch.
The action to act, if the shock is not caused by a heart attack, you need to put a blanket over the dog not tight, to watch his body temperature. Make sure he breaths freely, and call a vet as soon as possible.

 

 

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